1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel olefin polymer composed of the reaction of a functionalized polypropylene and a polyether amine. This invention also relates to thermoplastic resin blends containing the novel olefin polymer and polypropylene. This invention also relates to polyetheramines.
2. Related Art
The in situ formation of compatibilizers for polyblends is rapidly gaining popularity. In the last few years, more and more cases have been reported where advantage is taken of the presence of reactive groups to form a graft or a block or a random copolymer, which could act as a compatibilizer for a mixture of two or more polymers. The prior art, Process Requirements of the Reactive Compatibilization of Nylon 6/Polypropylene Blends by S. S. Dagli, M. Xanthos and J. A. Biensenberger: Polymer Processing Institute at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, N.J. 07030 reveals an acrylic acid grafted modified polypropylene used with a blend of nylon-6 and polypropylene.
Thermoplastic resin compositions containing polypropylene are well known in the art (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,081). U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,164 describes a polypropylene/polyamide composition suitable for producing moldings. The patent describes an ethylene copolymer useful as an adhesion promoter. Moreover, the patent indicates that maleic acid is a suitable monomer for preparing the ethylene copolymer.
In addition, maleated polypropylene is commercially available.
European patent application 0 367 832 discloses a resin composition containing an olefinic polymer having acid anhydride groups. As in U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,164, the novel compound is blended with a polyamide.
Japanese patent 46003838 reveals a maleic anhydride modified polypropylene composition containing trimethylamine and polyethylene glycol nonylphenyl ether. Japanese patent 60195120 reveals a molding containing polyethylene, maleic anhydride-grafted polyethylene, and diethylenetriamine.
However, the instant invention uses the maleic anhydride in conjunction with polyetheramines which produce unexpected improvements in resin properties.
This invention is a compound comprising a blend of polypropylene (xe2x80x9cPPxe2x80x9d) with the reaction product of a functionalized polypropylene and polyetheramine in which the polyether amine is grafted onto the functionalized polypropylene in a customary mixing apparatus. By grafted it is meant that the amine functionality of the polyetheramine reacts with the anhydride component of the functionalized polypropylene to form a reaction product, for instance, a primary amine will react with a maleic anhydride to form an imide. This invention is also a process for producing the reaction product of the functionalized polypropylene and the polyether amine by melting with polypropylene in a customary mixing apparatus. In this regard, the compound blend of this invention may be prepared by reactive extrusion by feeding a polyetheramine, a functionalized polypropylene and polypropylene into an extruder at temperatures such that the polyetheramine reacts with the functionalized polypropylene to form a reaction product containing, for example, an imide group.
This invention is also a polyether monoamine which contains from about 36 to about 44 ethylene oxide units and from about I to about 6 propylene oxide units. By ethylene oxide unit and propylene oxide unit it is meant the residue of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide which has been incorporated into the polyether monoamine, i.e., units corresponding to xe2x80x94CH2CH2Oxe2x80x94 and xe2x80x94CH2CHCH3Oxe2x80x94, respectively. This invention further relates to a process for making a blend containing polypropylene and the reaction product of a functionalized polypropylene and a polyether monoamine by melting polypropylene polyether monoamine and functionalized polypropylene to form the blend. This invention is yet further directed to a blend containing polypropylene and the reaction product of polyether monoamine and functionalized polypropylene.
The compositions of the present invention are useful for preparing molded automotive body parts, including directly paintable thermoplastic polyolefins (xe2x80x9cTPOxe2x80x9d) based automotive body parts.
It is also contemplated that the compositions are useful for making molded parts that contain filler such as glass. It is yet further contemplated that the compositions of the present invention may be useful in the preparation of films, including printable films; fibers including dyable and non-woven PP fibers; and in packaging materials for electronics components such as semiconductor chips, wherein the packaging materials may provide electrostatic dissipation which would thereby protect the chips from damage. It is yet further contemplated that the composition of the present invention may be useful to improve the barrier properties for polyethylene and to modify polyethylene as a tie layer in multilayer films. It is further contemplated that the composition of the present invention may be useful as an additive as polypropylene based reinforcement fibers for concrete.
The blend of polypropylene with the reaction product of maleated polypropylene and polyether amine shows improved paintability, improved impact resistance, and excellent mold flowability over blends of polypropylene and maleated polypropylene.
Plastics are increasingly being employed in the production of motor vehicles. Impact-modified PP has proved to be particularly suitable for applications such as bumpers, spoilers, fenders, side bump strips and the like. Therefore, a thermoplastic resin blend having the improved properties of the instant invention has significant potential commercial usefulness.
These resin compositions, according to the present invention, are useful as engineering plastics which are materials for structural members in the fields of transport machines (automobiles, ships and the like), apparatus, tools, electronic appliances, electric appliances, sporting goods, leisure goods and the like; and for connectors, tubes and the like.
Suitable polypropylenes are known from polymer chemistry, are described for example in Kunststoff-Handbuch, volume IV, Polyolefins, edited by R. Vieweg, A. Schley and A. Schwarz. Carol Hanser Verlag, Munich, 1969, and are commercially available, so that no details need be given.
Functionalized PP is PP onto which a monomer has been grafted. The usual method of such grafting is by free radical reaction. In the practice of this invention, the maleated polypropylene is not a copolymer of maleic anhydride or equivalent thereof, and propylene, such that the maleic anhydride moiety is predominantly in the backbone of the copolymer. Suitable monomers for preparing functionalized polypropylene are, for example, olefinically unsaturated monocarboxylic acids of less than 12 carbon atoms, e.g., acrylic acid or methacrylic acid, and the corresponding tert-butyl esters, e.g., tert-butyl (meth)acrylate, olefinically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids of less than 12 carbon atoms, e.g., fumaric acid, maleic acid, and itaconic acid and the corresponding mono-and/or di-tert-butyl esters, e.g., mono or di-tert-butyl fumarate and mono or di-tert-butyl maleate, olefinically unsaturated dicarboxylic anhydrides of less than 12 carbon atoms, e.g., maleic anhydride, sulfo- or sulfonyl-containing olefinically unsaturated monomers of less than 12 carbon atoms, e.g., p-styrenesulfonic acid, 2-(meth)acrylamide-2-methylpropenesulfonic acid or 2-sulfonyl(meth)acrylate, oxazolinyl-containing olefinically unsaturated monomers of less than 12 carbon atoms, e.g., vinyloxazolines and vinyloxazoline derivatives, and epoxy-containing olefinically unsaturated monomers of less than 12 carbon atoms, e.g., glycidyl (meth)acrylate or allyl glycidyl ether. The most preferred monomer for preparing functionalized polypropylene is maleic anhydride.
The functionalized polypropylene used in the practice of this invention may have a wide variety of number average molecular weights. When the functionalized polypropylene is used to make paintable articles, such as automotive body parts, the functionalized polypropylene preferably has a number average molecular weight greater than about 3,000 and preferably less than about 20,000, more preferably less than about 10,000. A representative example of a maleated polypropylene that is currently commercially available is under the name EPOLENE E-43, available from Eastman Chemical. Such relatively low molecular weight functionalized polypropylenes, when reacted with polyetheramines in accordance with the practice of this invention, appears to render the resulting extruded compositions more readily paintable. In other applications wherein the functionalized polypropylene is employed, such as when a glass filler is added to increase stiffness and strength, a higher average number molecular weight greater than about 40,000 and less than about 60,000 may be employed. Generally, glass filler and polypropylene are not miscible, and their combination commonly leads to voids in the resulting compositions. The relatively higher molecular weight materials xe2x80x9cwetxe2x80x9d the glass to make the glass filler particles and polypropylene more combinable to thereby decrease the amount of voids in the resulting compositions.
Suitable anhydride functionalized polypropylene include the following structures: 
wherein PP is polypropylene. In these structures, it should be appreciated that the polypropylene can be bonded to one or two monomers when the polypropylene is linear, while more than two monomers might be included when the propylene is branched. Typically, one or two monomers are present.
Suitable polyetheramines include monamines, diamines and triamines, having a molecular weight of from about 150 to about 12,000. Preferred polyetheramines have a molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 3,000. Suitable monamines, shown in the Glossary, include JEFFAMINE M-1000, JEFFAMINE M-2070, and JEFFAMINE M-2005. Suitable diamines include JEFFAMINE ED-6000, JEFFAMINE ED-4000, JEFFAMINE ED-2001, JEFFAMINE D-2000, JEFFAMINE D-4000, JEFFAMINE ED-900, JEFFAMINE ED-600, and JEFFAMINE D-400. Suitable triamines include JEFFAMINE ET-3000, JEFFAMINE T-3000 and JEFFAMINE T-5000. Preferred polyetheramines include JEFFAMINE M-2070 and JEFFAMINE ED-2001. More preferred polyetheramines of the present invention have a molecular weight in the range from about 1500 to about 2000. In the practice of this invention, monoamines and diamines are preferred. Suitable polyether blocks for the polyetheramine include polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, copolymers of polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol, poly(1,2-butylene glycol), and poly(tetramethylene glycol). The glycols can be aminated using well known methods to produce the polyetheramines. Generally, the glycols are prepared from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide or combination thereof using well known methods such as by a methoxy or hydroxy initiated reaction. When both ethylene oxide and propylene oxide are used, the oxides can be reacted simultaneously when a random polyether is desired, or reacted sequentially when a block polyether is desired.
An especially preferred polyetheramine is a polyether monoamine which contains from about 36 to about 44 ethylene oxide units and from about 1 to about 6 propylene oxide units. In one embodiment, such polyether monoamines have a molecular weight of about 2000 to about 2200. In another embodiment, the polyether monoamine contains about 40 to about 43 ethylene oxide units and from about 2.4 to about 3 propylene oxide units. Certain polyether monoamines are of formula: 
wherein m is about 36 to about 44 and wherein n is about 1 to about 6, including polyether monoamines wherein m is about 40 to about 43 and n is about 2.4 to about 3, as well as compounds of the formula having a molecular weight of about 2000 to about 2200.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the polyetheramines are prepared from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide or combinations thereof. Generally, when the polyetheramine is prepared from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide or combinations thereof, the amount of ethylene oxide on a molar basis is greater than about 50 percent of the polyetheramine, preferably greater than about 75 percent and more preferably greater than about 90 percent. In one embodiment of this invention, polyols and amines including polyalkylene polyamines and alkanol amines or any amine that is not a polyetheramine as disclosed herein may be absent from the composition. Similarly, functional groups other than ether linkages and amine groups may be absent from the polyetheramine. The polyether amines used in the practice of this invention can be prepared using well known amination techniques such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,654,370; 4,152,353; 4,618,717; 4,766,245; 4,960,942; 4,973,761; 5,003,107; 5,352,835; 5,422,042; and 5,457,147. Generally, the polyether amines are made by aminating a polyol, such as a polyether polyol with ammonia in the presence of a catalyst such as a nickel containing catalyst such as a Ni/Cu/Cr catalyst.
The mixing of the functionalized PP and polyetheramine and optionally also PP may be carried out in a customary mixing apparatus including batch mixers, continuous mixers, kneaders, and extruders. For most applications, the preferred mixing apparatus is an extruder.
Besides the PP/functionalized-PP/polyetheramine structural components according to the invention, the resin composition may, to improve the impact strength, contain impact modifiers, advantageously impact-modifying elastomers. Impact-modifying elastomers for the instant invention are known to a skilled worker. Examples are rubbers based on ethylene, propylene, butadiene, and acrylates, e.g. methacrylates, or mixtures thereof. Other examples include EP and EPDM rubbers, with EP rubber (ethylene propylene rubber) being preferred in applications where automotive body parts are being prepared. A representative example of a currently commercially available EP rubber is sold under the name VISTALON 878 by Exxon Chemical.
Suitable impact-modifying elastomers are described for example in Methoden der organischen Chemie (Houben-Weyl), volume XIV/1, Makromolekulare Chemie (Georg-Thieme-Verlag, Stuttgart, 1961), pages 390 to 406, and in the monograph by C. B. Bucknal, Toughened Plastics (Applied Publishers, London, 1977).
A composition containing polypropylene and elastomers, such as EP rubber, is commonly referred to as a xe2x80x9cTPO,xe2x80x9d which stands for thermoplastic polyolefin. TPO""s are commonly used in the manufacture of molded automotive body parts, such as bumper fascias. Such molded parts may also contain other components such as fillers, as described hereinbelow. TPO-based compositions can be prepared in the same manner as for non-elastomer-containing compositions. TPO""s are commonly sold in compounded or reactor grades. Representative examples of TPO which are currently available commercially are described below in the paragraphs preceding Examples 18-29.
It is contemplated that the polyetheramine and functionalized polypropylene, and optionally a small amount of PP or TPO, can be reacted to form a reaction product concentrate and, later, the reaction product concentrate can be blended with polypropylene or TPO. In this aspect of the invention, the polyetheramine comprises from about 10 to about 50 weight percent of the concentrate. When the reaction product of polyether amine and maleated PP is prepared neat, the reaction product can be blended or compounded with polypropylene or TPO and any other components of the desired composition to the desired levels using a mixing apparatus such as an extruder. It should be understood that PP may be commonly used to dilute the reaction. Depending on the type of mixer, the reaction product, polypropylene and any other components can be thoroughly mixed as solids prior to introducing the admixture in the mixing apparatus. Alternatively, mixers are available which will mix the components during operation. In either case, during operation of the mixer, the components are heated to melt the solids, with the melted components being thereafter mixed to form the final composition.
In addition to the structural components of PP, functionalized-PP, and polyetheramine and any impact modifier contained in a resin composition according to the instant invention, the resin may also contain reinforcing agents and/or additives. The reinforcing agents used may be reinforcing fillers, for example, carbon or carbon fibers; clay, chalk, talc, and mica to control shrinkage and control coefficient of thermal expansion; glass (beads or fibers) to increase stiffness. Further, the fillers may be finished with adhesion promoters and/or sizing agents. In addition, phosphite or hindered phenol or both can be added as a stabilizer (as a free radical scavenger).
When compositions include a glass filler, the composition can contain up to about 40% glass filler if highly stiff compositions are desired. More typically, from about 2% to about 10% glass filler in the composition is employed. Advantageously, the compositions of the present invention that contain glass filler generally are substantially free of voids that typically develop in compositions containing polypropylene and glass. While not wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the reaction product of polyether amine and maleated polypropylene serves to xe2x80x9cwetxe2x80x9d the glass to thereby make the glass and polypropylene more combinable (more miscible). In this aspect of the invention, it is preferred to employ maleated polypropylene having an average molecular weight of about 40,000 to about 60,000, as is described hereinabove.
The preferred functionalized polypropylene is a maleated polypropylene having the following structure: 
wherein PP is polypropylene.
The preferred polyetheramines are monoamines and diamines. The preferred monoamines as well as the preferred triamines have a molecular weight of from about 200 to about 4000. The preferred diamines have a molecular weight of from about 148 to about 6000. More preferred monoamines and diamines have a molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 3,000.
The preferred reaction product between the preferred functionalized polypropylene, maleated polypropylene, and the preferred polyetheramine has the following formula: 
wherein a is from about 5 to 50,000, for b:c from about 0:100 to 100:0, x is from about 1 to 3, and R is hydrogen or an alkyl radical having a functionality of x (i.e., if x is 2, R is a divalent), the alkyl radical having 1 to 10 carbon atoms.
Suitable thermoplastic resin compositions may contain from about 66 to about 80 wt % PP, from about 20 to about 30 wt % maleated PP and from about 2 to about 10 wt % polyetheramine. When the compositions include elastomers, such as in TPO-based compositions used to make automotive body parts, the compositions generally comprise from about 5 to about 40 wt a maleated PP, from about 2 to about 10 wt % polyetheramine and from about 50 to about 93 wt % PP, such percentages based on the weights of these components of the composition. Preferred compositions that include elastomers comprise about 15 to about 30 wt % maleated PP, from about 2 to about 8 wt % polyetheramine and from about 62 to about 83 wt % PP.
The preferred customary mixing apparatus is an extruder in which the polyetheramine is grafted onto the maleated polypropylene at from about 175 to 300xc2x0 C. in the course of a residence time of from about 25 to 300 seconds. For typical compositions of this invention, degradation begins to occur above this temperature range and below this range the compositions generally do not melt. Polypropylene is a nonreactive component of the mixing blend. The preferred temperature range is from about 190 to 260xc2x0 C.
Molded articles prepared from compositions according to the present invention are generally directly paintable. Representative examples of paints commonly employed for this purpose include urethane-based and melamine-based paints. Such paints may be applied using conventional techniques. Advantageously, compositions of the present invention may be painted directly without chlorine pretreatment and optionally without primer, though a primer may be used.
In the examples, continuous compounding was carried out in a Werner and Pfleiderer 30 mm twin screw extruder (ZSK30), having a nine barrel configuration, three kneading zones and one vent section, in which the feed sequence was a combined feed in which all the components fed at the same location (hopper of the extruder).
The following examples which illustrate the nature of the instant invention are not intended to be limitative. In the examples, a stoichiometric excess of maleic functionality on the maleated polypropylene is used relative to the amount of amine functionality on the polyetheramine.